Road-machine.



' PATENTBD JAN. 14, 1908.

S. W. SMITH. ROAD MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 28, 1907.

a sums-sum 1.

atmucqa No. 876.846. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

S. W. SMITH.

ROAD MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28,1907.-

.3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

atmnup S. W. SMITH.

' ROAD MAUI-ZINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 28,1907.

No. 876,846 7 PATENTED JAN. 14,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

attorneys cnrrsn snares Parser enrich.

STEPHEN W. SMITH, OF DOUGIiASVILLE, GEORGIA.

Roan- ACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 28 1907- SerialNo. 376,203-

fPatented Jan. 14, 1908.

, and useful improvements in machines for steering elements.

grading, roads, and the. invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of the parts which fully describe and thenoint out the novel featuresin the appended claims.

For afull' understanding of the invention.

and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details ofconstruction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to behad to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved road machine. Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof. Fi 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on theline of Fig. 1. transverse sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a detail side elevation, partly broken away, of a portion oftheextensible front beam of the frame work.

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectionon the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. .Fig. 7is anenlarged detail sectional view hereinafter specifically referredto. Fig; 8 is a top plan view of the Fig. 9 1s a detail view Figs. 10and 11 are the worm gear,

of one end of a bolster.. detail top and front views of and Fig. 12 is adetail view of one of the wagon or vehicle and the operating frame-'work and actuating parts carried'by the said vehicle.

The vehicle includes travellng wheels 1,

' rear and front axles 2 and 3, and reaches 4 of which there are twoshown, spaced from each other and which are connected at their rear endsto the rear axle 2 and at their front ends to the bolster 5. Saidbolster is provided with upwardly and outwardly projecting elevated ends6, which extend over. the front wheels and give sufficient clearance tosmoothing or otherwise working h pinion 10, the latter meshing with atoothed I shall hereinafter Fig. 4isa the latter in turning. A platform7 is supported by the pair of reaches 4, reaches extending therethrough,as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, and the 0 erator ordriver stands on this platform an I manipulates the different actuatingelements ofthe apparatus. projects upwardl which is provider and wheel 9and from the platform and at its lower end with a steering segment 11secured to the front axle 3 at opposite sides of the fifth wheel. 12desi nates a detent wheel which is fast on the ower end of the rod 8 andwhich-is designed-to be engaged by a foot operated detent 13.

The frame work which is supported by the vehicle. above described, andwhich is adapted.v to be elevated or suspended therefrom when not,operating, and be let down into en agement with the road when operating,'inc udes a front cross formed in three sections. To theintermediate or main section 15, the draft tongue 16 tensible sectionsthat are slidingly connected to the main section by means ofcouplingsleeves 18. Each of the extensible side sections 17 of the frontcross-beam is provided with a rack 19, and pinions 20 are journaled inthe main section and. mesh with said racks. Ratchets 1 are secured onthe shafts of the respective inions 20 and are adapted to be engaged bydouble pawls 22 carried by levers 23 Hence it will "be seen that bymanipulating either of the two hand levers 23 or both of them, eitherone or both of the sections 17 may be extended .laterally or retracted.The frame work also includes longitudinal beams 24 which are secured,preferably by inwardly extending angular ortions to the ends of theextensible sections '17 of the front cross beam. 1 These longitudinalbeams 24 converge towards their rear ends as shown and are connected byhinges 25 to the rear crossbeam 26. Both beams 24 and the rear .crossbeam 26 are provided with inwardly extendin cuttin or scraping edges 27as clearly il ustrate in the drawings. The longitudinal 24ecrry neartheir front ends, and l abl at the angle of their main portions withgtheir inwardly extending firont portions, 110

is secured. 17 designates the two side or exfulcrumed on said shaft.-

8 designates a steering rod which at'its upper end with a 1 beam 14which is of the longitudinal outer-ends of the shafts 37. These shafts-60 manipulating the hand -lever--it-ismanifest that the movable arm 50may be raised or lowered so as todisengage the worm from scraping blades28 that are secured thereto in'its operation. nected to themain sections15'of the front] cross beam, and converge towards theirrcar by standards29 and that are preferably provided with returned front edges30extending around the front edge of th e"scrap" ing or cutting portions27 of said longitudinal Theseslidingbeams, as best seen in Fig-12 v Iscrapers are sharp and are provided for "the purpose of cutting againstroad hanks and-for the further purpose of steadying the machine Couplingirons 3ia1f e conends, such ends beingconnectedtogether,preferably as anintegral structure, and being 5- mounted to slide vertically in aslotted guide frame 32 preferably supported on the bolster and havingits ends connected to the upper and lower ends of the kingbolt. Chains33 are connected at their lower ends in ,anys'uitable way to therespective longitudinal beams 24 near the front ends of the latter andthe said chains extend upwardly through slots 34 in laterally movableslides 35. The upper ends of the respective chains are adapted to windover grooved sheaves 36 fast on the are ournaled in bearings 38'on theslides 35,

and the said bearings [maybe formed by turning. the ends pf-sa-i'dslides upwardlya as shown, or in any desired manner. "The I hand wheels39.

inner erfdsof the shafts 37 are provided with The slides are mounted inguide ways 40 secured to, the upwardly projecting ends 6 of the bolster5, and bear ing. rollers 41 preferably extend over the slides so as toassist in guiding them properly. Other rollers 42 arejour'naledunderneath the slides'at the extreme outer ends of the bolster, andthese latter rollers are preferably fast on the same shaft with heads43, the latter being provided with sockets 44 for the reception" of asuitable rod-or other tool to assist in moving the slides in and out asthe frame work is extended or contracted laterally, in case thesaidslides do not adjust themselves.

Worm'gears45 are splined on the respective shafts 37 and are adapted formeshing engagement with worms 46 on the shafts .47.

the worm gear orvice versa. The worm' gears 45 are preferably heldrelatively stawaste tionary as the shafts 37 are carried inand out onthe slides, and the means for holding said Worm gears stationarycomprises in the ,present'inst'ance a pair of rollers carried on a fork45? secured to the stationary arm'49 of the bracket 48.

The lrea chesf4 are provided at their rear ends with arches56. I A chain,57" is secured atiits lower-end to the rear cross beam '26, and theupper end of the chain is adapted to.

wind around a grooved sheave 51 on the longitudinally extendingv shaft58. This shaft isprovided at its front endwitha hand awheelin'eonvenient reach'of the operator, so

that it may be rotated, and it is journaled in bearings supported uponcross bars secured at their ends to the arched portions of the reaches.61 desi ratchet adapted to hold t e said shaft at the requisiteadjustment. A slotted guide 62 projects upwardly from the rear axle 2and a guide arm 63 projects upwardly and rear wardly from the rear crossbeam 26' and projects into the slot of'th e'guide 62-so as to properlymaintain the rear cross beam when it is being raised or lowered 64designates-a pair of braces that are pivotally connectedat their frontends to the extensible, sections 17 of'the front cross beam 14, andt'hatare provided with hooks 65 at ates a pawl and i their. rear endS adaptedto 'beentered into anyone of a serles of apertures 66 formed in thehorizontally extending portionsof the longitudinal beams 24.- When themachine is being carried'from place to'place and is not in actualoperation, it is evident that the entire framework may be sus ended inan elevated position from the ve practical operation, the frame work islowered to the desired elevation so as toscrape and properly grade orotherwise ,work the road, as 1t is drawn forwardly along'the road byeither a traction engine or.- other prime mover, .or a team of horseshitched to the tongue 16. -By mani ulatin the hand le-' vers 23 theframewor contracted laterally, the required distance,

cle. In the I may. e extended or the braces 64 being'released-from thelongitudinal beams of the frame work during t e operation of adjustment,and then engaging again in one of they openings in the said pitman. Fromthe foregoing descri tion in connection with the accompanying rawings,it is evident that the slides will adjust themselves laterally, or theymay be adjusted by hand, when the frame work is extended or contracted,and that either side or'bo'th sides of the framework maybe held at theproper operating depth or elevation along the road by actuating theworrpsiand worm gears, or

by'o'therwiserotating the shafts 37; Itv is also obvious thatthe rearend of the framework may be raised; oi lowered whenever desired- For'instance, it may be lowered for engagement with the groundso as to cutoff arcane knobs or ridges, and drag dirt into low places for levelingthe road, orthe said rear end may be elevated forthe purpose of allowingsoil to escape from underneath the machine. As the machine is made intwo parts, namely'the vehicle and the frame work, the former with itsweight on the ground will hold the entire machine steady, and thisresult will also :be accomplished partly by the sliding scraping blades28.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A machine of the character described, comprising a traveling support,a laterally extensible frame work suspended from said support, means forextending and. contracts 1 ing said frame work, and scrapers carried by'the frame work.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising a traveling support,a frame work suspended from. the support and consistingof a laterallyextensible front cross beam, a rear cross beam, and rcarwardlyconverging longitudinal beams hinged at their rear ends to the rearcross beam,1means for extending and contracting the front cross beam,and grading or scraping devices carried by the frame work.

3. A machine of the character described, comprising a traveling support,a scraper framework suspended from the support,- and means for raisingthe front and rear ends of the framework from the support, the means forraising the front end. of the framework being independent of the meansfor raising the rear end.

4. A machine of the character described, comprising a traveling support,a scraper framework extended from the support, means for suspending therear end of the frame work at different elevations from the rear end ofthe support, and. means for raising andlowering, from the support,either side of the framework at the front thereof, one sideindependently of the other.

5. A machine of the character described, comprising a traveling support,a laterally extensible scraper frame work suspended from the support,means for extending and contractingthe framework, and means for raisingand lowering frame Work.

6. A machine of the character described, comprising a support, embodyingfront and rear traveling wheels and a front bolster and reaches, ascraper framework consisting of a rear cross beam suspended from thereaches, longitudinal beams hinged at their rear ends to the rear crossbeam, and a laterally extensible front cross beam to which the front endof the the front end of the longitudinal beams are connected, suspensiondevices connected to the longitudinal beams and supportedfrom thebolster, and means for raising and lowering said suspension devices.

7. A machine of the character described,

comprising a support, embodying front and rear traveling wheels and afront bolster and reaches, a scraper framework consisting of a rearcross beam suspended from the reaches, longitudinal beams hinged attheir rear ends to the rear cross beam, and a laterally extensible crossbeam to which the front end of the longitudinal beams are connected,suspension devices connected to the longitudinal beams, laterallymovable slides supported by the bolster, and means for raising andlowering the suspension devices upon slides.

8. X machine of the character described, comprising a traveling supportembodying front and rear axles, a front bolster, and reaches connectingsaid bolster with the rear axle, a scraper frame work consisting of arear cross beam, longitudinal beams hinged thereto at their rear ends,and a laterally extensible front cross beam to which the front end ofthe longitudinal beams are connected, slides movable laterally on theendsvof the bolster, shafts j ournalcd in said slides, means forrotating said shafts, and flexible suspension devices adapted to Windonsaid shafts and connected at their lower ends to the longitudinal beamsof the framework.

9. A machine of the character described, comprising a traveling support,front and rear traveling wheels, a bolster, reaches, a scraper frameworkconsisting of a rear cross beam supported from the reaches, longitudinalbeams hinged at their rear ends to the rear cross beam, and a laterallyextensible front cross beam to which the front ends of the longitudinalbeams are connected,

slides movable laterally on the ends ofthe bolster, shafts havingbearings in said slides, worm gears splined on said shafts, wormsmeshing with said worm gears, a support for said worms and means forturn-- ing the worms, flexible extension members adapted to wind on saidshafts and connected at their lower ends to the longitudinal beams ofthe frame work, and means for holding the worm gears relativelystationary as the shafts are carried in and out on their slides.

10. A machine of the character described, comprising a travelingsupport, embodying front and rear'traveling wheels and axles therefor, afront bolster, reaches connecting the frontbolster withthe rear axle,said reaches being provided with arched portions near-their rear ends,cross beams connected to the said arches, a shaft journaled in saidcross beams, means for turning said shaft, and flexible suspensiondevices adapted to wind on said shaft, a scraper framework, adjustablesuspension devices adapted to support the front end of the frame workfrom the bolster, and a connection between the framework and thesuspension devices,

at the rear end of the reaches, the framework extending into the archedportions of said reaches.

11. A machine of the character described,

- comprising a traveling support, a scraper cured to said front crossbeam, means for extending upwardly therefrom, a guide arm' support.

raising and lowering the framework on the support, coupling 1IOI1Sconnected to the front cross beam, a slotted vertically extending guidesupported on the front end of the traveling support, the coupling ironsextendin into the slot of the guide, the framework a so embodying a rearcross beam, and the traveling support embodyin reaches having archedportions accommo ating the,

said rear cross beam of the frame work, a slotted guide secured to therear axle and secured to the rear cross bar of the frame work andextending into the slot-of said last named guide, and means for raisingand lowering said framework from the traveling 12. A machine of thecharacter described comprising a' travelin ort, a scraper frameworksuspended I means on the support for raisin an lowerin the framework,said framewor 9 consisting 0% a rear cross beam, longitudianl beamshinged at their rear ends to the cross beam, a front cross beamconstructed in an intermediate section and two side sections,' to whichlatter the front ends of the longitudinal beams are connected, couplingsleeves 'slidingly connecting the-side sections. of the ,front'crossearn with the main section thereof, said side sections being providedwith racks, pinions meshingwit said racks and mounted in themain'section of the front crossbeam,

' ratchets secured on the shafts of said pinio'ns,

and hand levers fulcrumed to said shafts and provided with double awlsdesi ned for en- 1 gagement withthesai ratchet w eels.

13; A machine of thecharact'er described, comprising a travelin support,a vscraper from said support, means on the support for raising and beam,longitudinal beams hinged at their rear ends to the rear cross beam, andan extenp omtiie sup art, and

- comprising a travelin owering the framework, consisting ofa rear crossof the' longitudinal beams are connected, means for extending andretracting the front cross beam, and braces pivotall connected to thefront cross beam, the ongitudinal tudinal beams connecting the same, thesaid longitudinal beams being provided near their front ends withinwardly converging portions,

and scrapers carried by said longitudinalbeams at-the juncture of saidportions with v the main portions of said beams.

. 15. A machine of the character described, comprising a travelingsupport, a scraper framework, a vertically adjustable suspensionconnection between the rear end of the frame work and the rear end ofthe su port,.flexible sus ension members connected to the frame Wor nearthe front end ofthe latter, shafts carried by the support and upon whichsaid flexible suspension members are adapted to.

wind, worm gearscarried by said shafts,

worms mounted on ,the'su'pport and meshing 5 with the said worm turmngsaid worms. v

1.6; A machine of the character described,

gears, and means for framework, a vertical y ustable sus ensionconnection between the rear end 0 the frame work and the rear end of thesupport,

' flexible suspension members connected to the frame Work near the'frontend of the latter, shafts carried by said support and upon which saidfiexiblesusperision,members are adapted to wind, worm gears on saidshafts worms [meshing with said worm gears, and

support, a scraper a i sup'portin'gbrackets' in' which the'shafts of Mthe worms -are' journaled, said brackets being forked and providedwithan extensible member, .andm'eans for raising'and lowering said memberwhereby to carry the Worm out of and into engagement with the worm gear.

Inpestimony whereof I affixmy signature inprsence of two witnesses. I

v STEPHEN WQSMITH. a s1 Witnesses:

